So in my attempts to teach the boys about patriotism, I decided why not take all three goonies with me to vote yesterday. Well really it was more a case of A.J. being back and forth between work and trying to go see his mom at the hospital and there really wasn't another option. I strategically planned it so that we would get to our polling place right around 10:30 and true to my chaotic life, we rolled up about 11:30. Bart had conveniently fallen asleep in the car so I plunked him in the stroller which is a Craigslist favorite find of mine- a green Phil and Ted's. I didn't bother to attach the hitch seat for Sawyer since he usually springs out of it the moment I glance away. The one good thing about schlepping all three boys with me was that most of the annoying campaigners out front took one look at me and left me alone except for the moronic "I'm out to save the world one vote at a time" twenty something male who got brushed off with a swipe of my hand. In hindsight, I should have told him I would vote for his candidate if he would watch the boys while I voted...We make it in the door of the place and there are only a few people in front of me to check in and then a very minimal looking line to vote. At the check in table, I am pleading with my eyes for the old Lady Liberty working the table to make this as quick as possible and instead the old bat informed me that my old address was on my voter I.D. card and they really should have sent me a new one. I explained that I am sure they had when I moved FIVE YEARS AGO, but god knows where it is. Next step, get in line to do the computer vote since I thought at first that this would be the easiest method with the goonies helping me. Note- there was only ONE computer and then about six other booths where you could do the paper ballots. In the first minute we were in line, Sawyer began leaping off the footrest of the stroller bumping into the woman in front of me and then he and Jimmy proceeded to try to escape out a window. The older woman using the lone computer was clearly not knowledgeable in any form of technology so we were stuck. After Sawyer kicked the heel of the woman in front of us for about the twentieth time, I grabbed the boys and spun around to grab a paper ballot and vote at one of the open booths. Now had I been up on the three or four additional measures to vote on for our state and county, it would have been a quick fill in the ovals and be on our way. But trying to decipher legal jargon as Sawyer and Jimmy chased each other in circles around my booth almost knocking the booth next to me over with a gentleman voting at it was possibly more painful than taking the SATs. Sawyer is a sly one and managed to leap out of my grasp a few times before I scooped him up and held him by the waist under my left arm and tried to complete my ballot. This just caused him to release shrill screams and try to wriggle free. Jimmy was in hysterics by this point trying to egg Sawyer on. At last, I filled in the last oval and sprinted for the black box thingamajig to scan my ballot into. Of course there was yet another technologically challenged old lady chatting up the older guy working this machine. Hurrah! She got out of there and my ballot was submitted, sticker on, we were out the door. Sweet freedom! Hope you exercised yours!
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